In this opening message of NCC's Summer Slowdown series, Rachel takes us from David Foster Wallace's iconic "This Is Water" speech to the liberation story of Exodus, making the case that rest is an act of resistance and identity.

CHAPTERS

[00:00] - Welcome & Summer Intro

[02:08] - David Foster Wallace: "This Is Water"

[03:26] - Hurry Is The Water We Swim In

[06:09] - Introducing: Summer Slowdown Series

[07:19] - Sabbath Means "To Stop"

[08:15] - God Rested: Genesis 2

[09:24] - The French Revolution's Experiment

[12:39] - Brueggemann: God Isn't Anxious

[14:05] - The Fourth Commandment

[15:19] - Sabbath Tied to Slavery

[16:38] - The Brickmakers of Egypt

[18:30] - Sabbath as Truth-Telling

[20:25] - We Are More Than Brick Makers

[22:07] - A Personal Sabbath Story

[23:50] - Sabbath as Freedom

[25:23] - Unforced Rhythms of Grace

[26:30] - What Does Stopping Look Like?

[28:48] - Closing Prayer

REFERENCES

[02:08] - David Foster Wallace — "This Is Water," 2005 Kenyon College Commencement Address[12:39] - Walter Brueggemann — Sabbath as Resistance: Saying No to the Culture of Now[16:38] - The BEMA Podcast — Marty Solomon & Brent Billings[25:23] - The Message — Bible translation by Eugene Peterson[25:23] - John Mark Comer — The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry

This week, all four NCC pastors sat together on stage for an unscripted conversation about what it's been like to spend five months inside the Gospels. From the Transfiguration to Zacchaeus to the bleeding woman, each pastor shared the story that has personally moved them. They also wrestle with what makes Jesus so compelling, and why his parables still feel electric thousands of years after they were first told out loud.

CHAPTERS

[00:00] - Welcome & Improv Format

[01:26] - Gospels Series Recap

[02:50] - Josh: The Transfiguration

[06:05] - Dave: Zacchaeus

[09:07] - Pat: The Good Samaritan

[12:15] - Rachel: The Bleeding Woman

[16:36] - What Compels You About Jesus?

[20:19] - Josh: "Slippery" Jesus

[21:53] - Rachel: God Who Sees

[24:30] - Dave: Jesus Brings Belonging

[25:59] - Six-Month Series Takeaways

[27:39] - Pat's Takeaway

[28:44] - Dave's Closing Prayer

In this final message of the Sent Out series, Josh walks through Paul's dramatic journey from Jerusalem to Malta, showing how the full arc of Paul's story maps onto the community engagement pathway NCC has been walking this spring: listen, discern, envision, collaborate, and celebrate. On a special Student Sunday, testimonies from NCC's high schoolers make the case that celebration is more than a break from the work, it's the spiritual practice of noticing what God has actually been doing all along.

CHAPTERS

[00:00] - Welcome & Student Sunday

[03:35] - Blessing for the Graduate

[04:56] - Scripture: Paul on Malta

[06:17] - Why Celebration Feels Hard

[09:35] - God Commands Us to Celebrate

[10:32] - Sukkot & Biblical Celebration

[12:35] - Celebration Is About Story

[13:51] - Step 1: Listen (Acts 21)

[17:20] - Step 2: Discern

[18:40] - The Storm at Sea (Acts 27)

[20:45] - Step 3: Envision

[22:13] - Envisioning in Student Ministry

[23:07] - Step 4: Collaborate on Malta

[26:31] - Step 5: Celebrate

[27:42] - Student Testimonies

[32:12] - Closing & Communion

REFERENCES

[03:35] - Kate Bowler — "A Blessing for the Graduate" (https://katebowler.com/blessings/a-blessing-for-the-graduate/)

[12:35] - Fred Rogers — "Appreciation is a holy thing" (Commencement Address, Middlebury College, 2001) (https://relevantmagazine.com/culture/10-mr-rogers-quotes-you-need-read/)

[22:42] - Young Life — Christian youth organization; Joanna Bartel referenced as regional director (https://www.younglife.org/)

[27:01] - Annie Dillard — "Make connections; let rip; and dance where you can" from Pilgrim at Tinker Creek (https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/215657-make-connections-let-rip-and-dance-where-you-can)

On this Pentecost Sunday, Dave explores how resurrection opens both our minds and our hearts, freeing us from fear and self-sufficiency, and releasing us into a new kind of community engagement.

CHAPTERS

[00:00] - Welcome & Siobhan Introduction

[01:18] - Scripture Reading: The Advocate

[05:38] - Pentecost Sunday Overview

[07:57] - Pentecost & The 50 Nations

[10:33] - Series Recap: Listen, Discern, Envision

[14:00] - Today's Practice: Collaborate

[16:06] - Pitfalls to Avoid

[18:50] - Stories of Collaboration

[22:19] - A Personal Confession

[24:22] - The Disciples & The Locked Room

[28:47] - Closing: Resurrection Is Openness

REFERENCES

[00:45] - Evergreen Association of American Baptists (https://ea-abc.org/)

[19:08] - Excell Network – Bay Area Prison Reentry Organization (https://excellnetwork.org/)

[20:13] - Levantar – Serving Immigrant Families in North Fair Oaks, Redwood City (https://wearelevantar.org/)

[24:22] - Diana Butler Bass – A Beautiful Year: 52 Meditations on Faith, Wisdom, and Perseverance (2025) (https://dianabutlerbass.com/books/a-beautiful-year/)

What does it mean to dream with God? In this message, Rachel Palmbush explores how God has always spoken to his people through dreams and visions–from Jacob's stairway to heaven, to the two dramatically different visions in Acts 9 that bound strangers Saul and Ananias into a shared destiny.

CHAPTERS

[00:00] - Introduction: Dreaming With God

[02:37] - How Does God Speak?

[03:29] - Envisioning in the Sent Out Series

[06:46] - Dreams Across Scripture

[09:12] - New Testament: Visions & Pentecost

[11:51] - Acts 9: Two Very Different Visions

[13:27] - Ananias: The Quiet, Steady Vision

[15:00] - God-Sized Dreams in Everyday Life

[19:13] - A Practice: Speak to Me in My Dreams

[21:26] - Buechner: God Speaks Into the Ordinary

[22:30] - Kevin Bolen: Dreaming Through Business

[25:32] - God Has Direct Access to Your Heart

[26:15] - What You Need to Dream With God

[28:05] - Katharine Sherwin's Story

[34:29] - Two Practices: Rest & Walk

[38:17] - Closing Prayer

REFERENCES

[03:00] - Dallas Willard — Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship with God[11:51] - Willie James Jennings — Acts: A Theological Commentary on the Bible (Belief Series)[19:13] - Tyler Staton — Lead Pastor of Bridgetown Church; author of Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools[21:26] - Frederick Buechner — The Sacred Journey (memoir)[22:30] - Saint Frank Coffee, Menlo Park — Founded by Kevin Bolen[25:32] - John Mark Comer — Author and founder of Practicing the Way[27:27] - Teresa of Avila — "Christ Has No Body" (prayer/poem)[29:35] - Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity (IM4HI) — Training churches to accompany immigrants, Oakland

What if God is planting seeds in your heart right now for a calling that won't fully bloom for years? In this week's message, Pastor Dave Peterson explores what it means to discern God's invitation, drawing from the story of Peter and Cornelius in Acts 10 and his own unexpected journey from a career in investment banking to pastoral ministry.

CHAPTERS

[00:00] - Welcome & Mother's Day

[03:51] - Introducing the "Sent Out" Series

[05:55] - Recap: Last Week's Sermon

[08:05] - Peter & Cornelius Story

[10:39] - What Is Discernment?

[11:33] - Keep an Ear Open

[13:24] - God Knows You Better

[15:06] - The Next Right Thing

[16:39] - From Banking to Ministry

[18:56] - Desiring God's Will

[20:52] - Three Principles for Discernment

[25:03] - Closing Reflection & Hospitality

[27:41] - Thomas Merton's Prayer

REFERENCES

[11:10] - Foster the City — Church-based foster care movement

[10:04] - Willie James Jennings — Acts: A Theological Commentary on the Bible

[18:56] - David G. Benner — Desiring God's Will: Aligning Our Hearts with the Heart of God

[23:48] - Michael Frost & Christiana Rice — To Alter Your World: Partnering with God to Rebirth Our Communities

[27:41] - Thomas Merton — "Thoughts in Solitude" (The Merton Prayer)

What does it really mean to be a Christian? Is it just fire insurance for the afterlife, or is there something far more alive? In this opening message of a new series, Pastor Pat Little unpacks the biblical vision of shalom: God's dream of wholeness and flourishing for all creation—and what it means for us to be "midwives" of that new creation right now.

CHAPTERS

[00:00] - Welcome & Easter Season

[01:11] - New Series Introduction

[02:53] - What Is the Point?

[03:17] - Dallas Willard's "Fire Insurance"

[04:36] - New Creation & Shalom

[07:09] - Midwives of New Creation

[08:33] - Community Engagement Defined

[09:36] - The Formation Pathway

[12:23] - Acts 10: Listening in Action

[16:06] - Shalom Dismantles Barriers

[17:37] - Reflection: What Borders?

[18:08] - Three Listening Practices

[18:49] - Encounter at Saint Frank

[24:29] - Moments of Kinship

[25:43] - Intentional Relocation

[26:39] - Matthew 25 & The Margins

[28:39] - Closing

[03:17] - Dallas Willard — The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God

[05:35] - Walter Brueggemann — Living Toward a Vision: Biblical Reflections on Shalom

[07:09] - Michael Frost & Christiana Rice — To Alter Your World: Partnering with God to Rebirth Our Communities

[16:06] - Willie James Jennings — Acts: A Theological Commentary on the Bible

[18:25] - Barbara Brown Taylor — An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith

[18:49] - Saint Frank Coffee, Menlo Park

[21:04] - Mary Oliver — "Morning Poem" (Dream Work, 1986)

[22:34] - Elizabeth Bishop — "One Art"

[23:28] - G.K. Chesterton

[23:28] - Gerard Manley Hopkins — "As Kingfishers Catch Fire"

[24:58] - Fr. Greg Boyle — Barking to the Choir: The Power of Radical Kinship

After his resurrection, Jesus didn't open with answers or explanations; he opened with questions. In this message, Rachel Palmbush explores three deeply personal questions the risen Jesus asked his closest friends: "Why are you crying?" to a grief-stricken Mary in the garden, "Why are you troubled?" to fearful disciples hiding behind locked doors, and "Do you love me?" to a shame-filled Peter by a charcoal fire. Jesus meets each of them exactly where they are–not to fix or lecture, but simply to find them. A reminder that the God of the universe knows where you are, and will always come looking.

[00:00] - Welcome & Series Context

[01:37] - Jesus the Question Asker

[02:31] - Recapping Previous Questions

[02:54] - Today's Questions Are Personal

[03:27] - Three Responses to the Empty Tomb

[06:17] - One Story, Three Reactions

[07:17] - Jesus Finds Each Friend

[08:13] - Questions as Transformation

[09:12] - Mary at the Garden Tomb

[10:36] - "Why Are You Crying?"

[12:00] - Jesus Says Mary's Name

[12:51] - Disciples in the Locked Room

[13:07] - "Why Are You Troubled?"

[14:54] - Jesus Moves Toward Them

[15:46] - Peter on the Beach

[16:18] - "Do You Love Me?"

[17:11] - Restoring Calling, Not Failure

[18:23] - Post-Resurrection: Still Grief, Still Shame

[19:07] - What Question Is Jesus Asking You?

[19:37] - A God Who Finds

[20:17] - The Alzheimer's Story

[22:39] - Jesus Finds Us in Hidden Places

[23:15] - The God We Actually Need

[24:07] - Jesus, Food & The Road to Emmaus

REFERENCES

[02:06] - Martin Copenhaver — Jesus Is the Question: The 307 Questions Jesus Asked and the 3 He Answered